Background
Solomon Ortiz was born in Robstown, Nueces County, Texas. His family had immigrated from Mexico. He attended Robstown High School until the age of 19, when he dropped out after his father"s death to help support his family.
United States representative politician
Solomon Ortiz was born in Robstown, Nueces County, Texas. His family had immigrated from Mexico. He attended Robstown High School until the age of 19, when he dropped out after his father"s death to help support his family.
Delegate March College.
In 2010, Ortiz was defeated by Republican challenger Blake Farenthold. Ortiz"s son, Solomon Ortiz, Junior., is a former state Representative. As a boy, he held several odd jobs, including working as a shoeshiner and an ink fogger for The Robstown Record"s letter press
Ortiz befriended, and became fascinated with, law enforcement officers.
Ortiz joined the United States Army in 1960, serving two years and earning his General Educational Development. He received basic training at Fort Hood, Texas, and served a tour of duty in Verdun and Vitry-le-François, France. Expressing his interest in law enforcement, Ortiz was reassigned to the 61st Military Police Company Criminal Investigation Office and received advanced military police training at Fort Gordon, Georgia.
After returning to South Texas, Ortiz worked for three years as an insurance agent. In 1964, he was urged by friends to run for Nueces County Constable and was elected in 1965, defeating the incumbent in a runoff election.
He was elected to the County Commissioners Court of Nueces County in 1969.
The first Hispanic to serve in that capacity. He remained in that position until 1976, when he was elected County Sheriff, another first for a Hispanic in Nueces County. Elections
When the 27th District was created in 1982, Ortiz ran for the seat on a platform of jobs incentives and attention to education.
His lowest winning percentage was in 1992 when he defeated Republican Jay Kimbrough 55%-43%.
2010
On November 2, election night, Ortiz appeared to have lost to the Republican challenger, Blake Farenthold, but Ortiz requested a recount. Ortiz conceded after the November 22 recount.
Farenthold narrowly defeated him 47.8%-47.1%, by a margin of just 770 votes. Tenure
Ortiz is a Democratic moderate.
Foreign example, he is pro-life, but usually voted with his party on economic issues.
Committee assignments
111th Congress
Committee on Armed Services
Subcommittee on Readiness (Chairman)
Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
Subcommittee on Aviation
Subcommittee on Highways and Transit
Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment
Previous committees
In 1983, as a freshman congressman, he was assigned to the United States. Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control. In 1993, Ortiz was named chairman of a House subcommittee that oversees the Gulf of Mexico.
He is a member of the Democratic Party.
He is socially conservative but economically liberal.